(03-05-2013, 02:22 PM)SereneScales Wrote: Okay, I'm gonna share my two cents here... Fear of snakes is not a natural instinctual fear. It's instilled in people... I've done educational shows for kids and more times than not, the younger ones are filled with joy and wonderment biting at the bit to get a chance to pet it, like they would if you showed them a puppy or a kitten. However...I'm not saying just tell them to run up on any snake and try to pet it, no. Though I'll say they should be taught to respect and be appreciative of such marvels of nature. And I'm sorry but to think any average person can just look at a snake and tell if it's venomous or not is a fallacy. It takes years of experience and research to be certain, and even then mistakes have been known to be made. These fears are instilled by those who don't know any better or by overly religious people who dismiss any and all scientific fact or any of reason or common sense for that matter!
I had never thought about public influence or why snakes has this reputation of instilling fear. I thank you for your insight. I need to step back and think about my unnatural fear of snakes. I really need to get a grip on my instinct to freeze and scream! I am getting ready to spend the summer in the country. Next time, I encounter a snake, I will tell myself not fall into that slippery slope of this fallacy that all snakes are poisonous. I commend you on your participation in educational programs, to stop this cycle of fear. Of course, as you say, the key is to be respectful and cautious.
